On The Edge
by JackiLeigh
Summary: A ruthless man, who shares a past with both Neal and Peter, visits New York. Neal whumpage.
1. Chapter 1

ON THE EDGE

**AN: I have no idea where, in my brain, this story came from. I just liked the idea of Neal dragging himself out of water up onto a beach. The story has just grown from there. I have no idea where this synaptic misfire may land. But I hope you all will join me for the ride. Thanks, in advance, for your reviews and alerts. And, a big thank you, to ccluvhorses101 for your beta abilities. Enjoy!**

She stroked his cheek. His skin was cold and his hair was wet. He had dragged himself up onto the beach and had simply given out. And this was where they found him, hours later. Diana looked out at the cold water, the sun beginning to set on what was turning out to be another horrible day. For two days Neal had been missing, and now he was found. But it appeared that they had been too late.

Diana knelt down beside Neal's cold and beaten body. She could see the bruises through the torn material of his shirt and slacks. She could see wounds made by a knife blade, some deep, some superficial. She could see marks from cigarette burns and taser prongs. The pain Neal must have endured brought tears to her eyes. She already knew what she would find, but she pressed her fingers to Neal's neck anyway. He was so cold. He was so pale, and there were so many injuries, so many severe injuries. There was no way Neal was still alive.

Neal had beaten the odds, there was a pulse! Diana was thrilled. She needed to tell the team she had found Neal, and what condition he was in. Diana started to stand, wiping the tears from her eyes. Then she felt a touch. Diana looked down and saw the panic in Neal's eyes as he began to cough up water, tinged with blood. He was too weak to roll onto his side to allow the water in his lungs to escape. Diana did the next best thing. She sat down beside him and pulled him into her arms. She positioned him to allow his body to rid itself of any remaining water.

Neal squeezed her hand tightly as he coughed to expel the water. He then groaned, exhausted from the effort. Neal's eyes slid closed, and his body seemed to relax in her arms. Diana panicked at his sudden stillness. She checked his pulse again. It was only then that she could feel his body shaking as he tried to generate heat. She took off her coat and wrapped it around him. It seemed to warm him, and he relaxed a little more.

Jones, Peter and the other agents found Diana and Neal sitting together in the sand. Diana had used her free hand to dial her phone and inform Peter of Neal's condition. She then slipped it back into her pocket. She absently ran her fingers through Neal's hair as she waited for the cavalry to arrive. She could not stop the tears as they once again flowed down her cheeks.

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Diana found herself wiping her eyes yet again. And she was not a crier. She was an FBI agent. She was tough. She was smart. She was a very valuable member in a trusted position, usually reserved for men. She was not weak. She had no vulnerabilities. Or so she thought.

Diana had not known, until that very moment, how much the smart, handsome convict had wormed his way into her life. She had not known until that moment how much it would hurt her to see him battered and broken, near death. She had not expected this reaction from herself, concerning anyone, but especially not concerning Neal Caffrey.

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Diana came up to Peter in the ER waiting room as they waited for news on Caffrey.

"Boss, I…I'm sorry for what happened back there…my reaction." Diana stated.

Peter looked at her for a moment. He shook his head, unsure what Diana was talking about.

"It was very unprofessional for me too…." Diana started.

Peter shook his head and smiled, finally getting what it was she was trying to say. "No apology necessary, Diana."

"But…?" Diana said, shaking her head.

"You like Neal, Diana. It's hard not to. He's…." Peter replied.

"He's a criminal." Diana quickly interjected, chastising herself for having let her guard down.

Peter nodded. "That's part of who he is, Diana. But that's only part. He's…. there's so much more to him. And you've seen it. He's a guy worth knowing."

"I don't…." Diana paused. She couldn't get the images of the cuts, burns and bruises out of her head. "They tortured him."

Peter nodded. He had knelt down beside Neal when he and Jones had arrived at the scene. He had taken inventory of all Neal's injuries before the ambulance had taken him away. "And they dumped him in the bay knowing it would wash away all the evidence. And I guess they figured, on the off chance that he was still alive, he would drown." Peter looked at Diana. "We need to…we have to find this guy."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Neal was still unconscious from his ordeal. His wounds had been cleaned, stitched, and bandaged, and he had been put into a room. And pain medicine was keeping him partially sedated. He was, however, responding, somewhat, to touch. He would open his eyes, but he didn't seem to be able to focus on anything. And his eyes never stayed open for very long.

Peter thought over the past couple days as he paced the floor outside Neal's room. He found himself out there often. Between the short visiting hours, the dressing changes and the doctor's visits, there was a lot of time to sit and wait. There was a lot of time to consider what had happened, and a lot of time to stew of the fact that they had virtually no clue about the events of the past couple days. That is, unless you counted the injuries inflicted on Neal's body. And Peter could not help but think about that. He could not get the sick, sadistic, images out of his mind.

June had called Peter, Sunday, at about 10 a.m. She said she was sure she was worrying for nothing. She had gone up to Neal's apartment, fully expecting him to be home, but he was not. She could just tell he had not been there since Friday. The place had felt, empty. She filled Peter in on what she knew. She told him that Neal had left the house Friday night saying he was going to a restaurant with a friend. June knew the restaurant. She knew it was within his range. And when Neal didn't elaborate on the 'friend,' June hadn't pushed. Though, now, she wished that she had. She had not heard Neal come in that night. But, she admitted, she really didn't know what time she had fallen asleep. She had been in bed, reading. She only found that Neal was not home when she went up Sunday to have brunch, as they sometimes did. June said she had not checked on him Saturday because she knew that the bureau had been working on a long, difficult case. She figured Neal needed some time to himself, just to relax. But, now, that decision filled her with guilt.

Peter had listened to June's story. He had tried to soothe her worries and fears. But deep inside, they both had known something was wrong. Neal had not run. Had he run, he would have just cut his anklet and left town Friday. But the alarm had not been triggered. So that meant that up until Sunday afternoon, when Peter got the call from the Marshalls, Neal had been in his territory and on anklet. Peter had been trying to find him for only a few hours. But the fact Neal had been missing for a couple of days had filled Peter with dread. Right up until the time Neal had been found beaten and half-dead on the beach.

Peter had, of course, called El, who, in turn called June and Mozzie. They all showed up within the hour. Mozzie decided he could brave the hospital, given El's explanation of what had happened to his friend.

They had each had a few moments alone with Neal, the sight of Neal so still and covered in bandages had them all rattled. El and June both left the room wiping the tears from their eyes. Mozzie was beside himself, pelting questions at Peter that he just didn't have the answers to, yet.

Peter really needed to talk to Neal. He had tried to earlier. But Neal didn't seem to even hear him speaking. Peter needed something, anything, to go on. The water Neal had been dumped into had washed all the evidence away. Peter knew the only way they would know anything was to talk to Neal. Peter had no idea who had done this to Neal or where it had happened. He paced the floor, trying to calm his anger and agitation.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks, once again, to my beta, ccluvshorses101, and thank you all for your alerts and reviews. **

Peter nearly jumped out of his seat when he felt fingers close around his. He had been sitting beside Neal's bed for hours. And he was beginning to believe that Neal's latest adventure had been too much for him. He didn't know if the conman could make it back to them, he had been hurt so badly.

Peter had never been so glad to see a pair of blue eyes in his life. Peter opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. He had automatically reverted to his agent mode. He had a million questions to ask. But he knew Neal, in his current state, couldn't handle that. Peter needed to be his friend right now, not an agent.

"Hey, Kid." Peter said, squeezing Neal's hand.

Neal nodded and tried to speak, but his throat was sore. As a matter of fact, his whole body was sore. He groaned when he made the mistake of trying to move.

Peter shook his head. "There will be plenty of time to talk later. Just glad you're awake. June, El, and even Mozzie's here, they're waiting to see you."

Neal nodded, giving Peter permission to let them all in. Moments later they were all gathered around the bed.

June bent down and kissed Neal gently on the cheek. "Hello, Darling."

"June…." Neal said, taking her hand, his voice scratchy.

June shook her head. "I know your throat hurts, don't talk."

"June's right, Sweetheart…" El chimed in. "…you need to rest, plenty of time to talk, later."

"Hey El," Neal said to her. "…Moz…." He said looking appreciatively at Mozzie.

They both nodded at Neal.

By this time Neal was fighting just to stay awake. The exchange had left him exhausted. He finally gave in and closed his eyes.

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Neal woke up a few hours later to someone running their fingers through his hair. She was not actually even looking at him. She was staring out the window, seemingly lost in the view.

Neal cleared his throat and Diana's hand stopped. She was suddenly very embarrassed.

"…didn't mind." Neal said, blinking, trying to wake up. Diana's action had been very relaxing to him.

"I'm sorry." Diana said.

"For what?"

Diana shook her head.

"…lying…..on the bed…bathrobes…." Neal spoke sofly, talking about their time undercover a few years ago, in the hotel suite. "…remember that?"

"We were undercover, Neal." Diana retorted.

"Exactly, …more intimate…than this. …comforting a friend…like…on the beach." Neal explained, trying to explain what her touch meant to him.

Diana smiled, her embarrassment lessened greatly.

"…you like me." Neal said squeezing Diana's hand. "… so damned charming." He said, smiling.

Diana smiled back. "I'm glad you're feeling better. And you are very lucky you're already injured." She let Neal take that last part however he wanted to.

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Peter had hated to have to wait to talk to Neal, but it couldn't be avoided. He knew Neal needed to recover before he would be able to talk, to anyone. There needed to be time for the drug-induced oblivion to fade. The thought of whoever had done this getting away with it, putting more and more distance between him and the crime with each passing day made Peter angry and anxious. Luckily, Neal seemed coherent enough to ask questions just a couple days after he was brought into the hospital.

Peter sat down next to Neal's bed with his crossword puzzle in hand. He wanted it to be a more…relaxed atmosphere when he talked to Neal. El had told him that he talked to people, often, as if he were questioning a suspect. He wanted to just 'talk' to Neal. He didn't want to interrogate Neal, and especially not in his condition.

Peter sighed as he opened up the paper and started to do his puzzle. But his mind kept wondering. He had his pen poised over the paper when he jumped.

"Six down is chemist." Neal stated.

"What?" Peter asked, looking at Neal. He had not realized Neal was awake.

"Chemist…a British pharmacist is a Chemist."

Peter looked down at his paper and looked back at Neal. He had no idea Neal had such acute vision.

"You need to be able to see minute details when you forge bonds…and when you leave tell-tale signatures." Neal stated as explanation.

Peter sighed and put down his paper. It was time.

Neal nodded. He was still weak, but his throat felt much better, and it didn't tire him out nearly as much to talk. Plus, the effects of the heavy drugs were largely gone. "I know June talked to you, told you what she knew. I…we left the restaurant. I put my date in a cab, and then I decided to walk home. It was just so nice outside. I got about a block from the restaurant when I felt something pressed into my back. I thought it was a gun. I told them that they could have my money. But they didn't want that, they herded me towards a van. When I realized where I was being taken, I started to fight. They tasered me. I…."

By this time Peter had stood up. He started to pace.

Neal continued, even though he could see Peter's growing agitation. "There were three guys, they all had masks on. I have no idea who they were. I never saw their faces. I did try to take their hoods off. I got tasered a couple more times for that. They took me to this warehouse. I have no idea where. It had been out of use for so long. The place had been emptied a long time ago." Neal paused. His chest was hurting, and he really didn't want to relieve the experience, even in memory. He took a shaky breath and started again. "They tied me to a chair. And when I came to from my tasering I was staring at Philip Hillman, also a very talented art forger. Not as good as me, but pretty good. He said I knew too much. But he wasn't after me." Neal stopped.

Peter studied Neal's expression. He asked his next question, knowing he wouldn't like the answer. "Who…who was he after?"

"You." Neal stated.

Peter stopped pacing and looked at Neal, stunned.

Neal continued. "He said you killed his business. You busted his partner awhile back. Hillman said that he just happened to be out of the country. That's why you didn't get him. He said you ruined his multi-million dollar operation."

Peter's pacing and agitation increased. "Then why take you? We never knew he had you. There was no ransom, no exchange of information."

Neal shook his head. "Hillman knows the FBI doesn't make deals. He just figured I would be an easy, quick, source of information. Plus we had a brief…association a few years back. We did a job together. He told me, too, that there were consequences of me going fed." Neal looked at his hands. "I couldn't tell him anything, Peter. He was…he was talking about Elizabeth. I couldn't…. He even mentioned June. I couldn't let anything happen to them."

Peter looked at Neal. Neal's hands were shaking. The heart monitor showed an increase in heart rate.

"Neal?" Peter said. He momentarily put aside his own anger at the threat to his wife and June. He gave Neal the attention he needed.

"I…couldn't say anything…" Neal managed through pants. "…before now." His agitation was hindering his breathing and causing his chest to hurt more. They had also done him the great pleasure of breaking a couple of his ribs.

"Neal!" Peter said again. He pressed the call button at the same time he was trying to calm Neal down. "No, Neal, I understand. The drugs…you were…it's okay."

" …gotta…Elizabeth…. Please!" Neal pleaded, his hand pressed to his chest again.

Neal's eyes slid closed, and he relaxed. Peter panicked, pressing his fingers to the side of Neal's neck. Peter let out a breath when he found a pulse. Neal had just passed out from the pain. Peter left the room when the nurse ushered him out. And when he was satisfied Neal was okay, he pulled out his phone and called El. He then called June. They were both fine. An hour later he had an agent assigned to Elizabeth, and he had the NYPD doing a drive-by patrol of June's neighborhood.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Peter had waited until Neal was out of danger before he spoke to Neal again. Neal was able to finish his story.

"They wouldn't let up, Peter. But…but I didn't tell them anything." Neal stated. "They kept on, kept trying to get me to talk. After…after awhile it…it didn't hurt anymore."

Peter looked at Neal. He couldn't believe his ears. His heart broke for his partner, to reach the point where you could no longer feel the pain. He couldn't fathom it.

"I guess I passed out at some point. I don't know. I don't know what happened. I just remembered being in the water. I guess they thought I was dead, and that was how they decided to get rid of me." Neal paused. "Anyway, I was so cold. It just… I was numb. I could see myself moving, but I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't feel my legs or my arms. And when I finally got to the beach, I just…I gave out. I just remember reaching a firm surface. After being in the water for so long, I was just ready to get out. I…." Neal looked at Peter and shook his head. "I don't remember anything after that, until Diana…."

Peter nodded. He had put out a BOLO on Hillman, but nothing had surfaced and the street was not talking. He had checked in with El and June and with the NYPD and the agent guarding El. There was nothing to report, all was quiet. But Peter suspected the man would lay low for a little while. Hillman would wait. He would wait until Peter had shifted his focus. Hillman knew Peter could not keep an agent on El or the NYPD on patrol forever. He knew Peter would eventually have to stop being super vigilant. That he would fall back into his normal routine, his normal pattern and then…. Peter couldn't let that happen. He was not worried so much for himself, El, Neal and June needed to be protected. But in the back of his mind, 'knowing' he had a target on his back was unsettling.

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Neal woke up a few hours later. He looked around the room, surprised to see Diana sitting beside him, reading a magazine.

"Cosmo, huh?" Neal asked, reading the magazine title.

Diana grinned and put down the magazine. "It was either this, or Sports Illustrated." She smirked.

"What you did for me…I just…." Neal started.

Diana shook her head.

"Thank you." Neal said.

"It's a really good thing that you're still injured."

"You've already said that." Neal said, smiling at her.

"I mean it this time, too." Diana stated, though she really didn't.

Neal was still smiling. "You like me."

Diana shook her head again. She grinned broadly. "You're a con man and a charmer."

"You still like me."

"Shut up, Caffrey." Diana retorted.

Neal laughed as he made himself comfortable in bed.

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Hillman knew to lay low for awhile, even when he heard that Neal had survived his ordeal and then his swim. Hillman knew Burke would be extra vigilant for a while. But all Hillman had to do was bide his time. He would hit Peter at his weakest, his wife or his partner. Hillman lowered his binoculars from his eyes. He left his surveillance point down the street from Peter's house and pulled into traffic.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

El opened her door at about 2:15 p.m. She knew something was off before she even saw the man sitting on her couch. For one thing, Satch was nowhere to be found. He always greeted her when she came home, no matter what time it was. She began to back out the door when she heard a voice.

"Well, hello Mrs. Burke." Phillip Hillman said, standing up to greet her.

El didn't respond. She just turned to leave, but she didn't make it far. Hillman's two thugs when on her in seconds…holding her arms to her side and keeping her from moving.

"Your husband is a very nosy man." Phillip said smugly. "He should have learned to mind his own business."

"My husband was doing his job." El stated, struggling.

"That is a matter of opinion." Hillman replied.

"What do you want? What are you going to do with me?"

Hillman didn't speak for a moment. "He ruined my life, so I am going to ruin his." He said smiling.

El didn't know what he meant by that, she just knew it didn't bode well for her. She knew they could not pay a ransom. And she knew this man could just take her out somewhere and kill her. Either option would ruin Peter's life.

"The FBI doesn't negotiate." El stated, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Hillman nodded. "I know that. That is why you are going to call Peter in his office and give him the latest. You are going to tell him whatever it is I tell you to tell him."

Hillman paused, pleased to see the fear on El's face. He took El's cellphone out of her purse. He scrolled through her contacts and found Peter's office number. He dialed the number and then waited until he heard Peter's voice before he handed the phone over to El.

"You will tell him only what I tell you to…any clues…." Phillip Hillman didn't finish, letting her draw her own conclusion.

"Hey, Hon." El said as a way of introduction.

"Hey, Hon." Peter replied. "…things going well?"

"Yeah, the Phillips have invited us over for dinner tonight." El replied. "You remember them, Hillary and Bill. Oh, and they said the loved the muffins we had at brunch a week ago. Should I make them a basket?"

Hillman was getting irritated at all the domestic bliss. He reminded her of the point of this conversation. The men had roughly sat her down on the couch. They were now sitting on either side as Hillman took the phone from her hand and covered the receiver.

"That's enough! You are to tell him exactly what I tell you. Exactly!" Hillman insisted.

Peter, meanwhile, was confused. He knew they had no friends by the last name of Phillips, and Hillary and Bill…what was that? Then it clicked. Phillips was Phillip and Hillary was Hillman. Peter was shocked…Phillip Hillman was in his house with his wife. He knew she was home because of the mention of the invitation, an invitation to someone's home. They were still at his home. The word muffin was a clue also. Neither ate muffins so they figured the mere mention of the word would raise the alarm, so it became their code word for trouble.

Neal could see the confusion on Peter's face. Peter then grabbed a pen and paper and wrote Hillman's name on it. Neal looked at Peter, horrified. Peter then wrote the word kidnap on the paper also.

Neal shook his head, unable to believe his eyes.

"What do we do?' Neal mouthed as Peter pressed the phone to his ear. Peter didn't want to miss a word of the instructions that he was sure Hillman was feeding to El.

Peter held up a finger to Neal as Peter continued to listen to Hillman. Peter listened for just a moment longer before he hung up. Hillman had just broken the connection.

"Get Jones and Diana in here!" Peter commanded.

Neal got up and was back seconds later with both agents. Peter didn't waste time with explanation. "That bastard Hillman has El! He was telling her what to tell me. I could hear him in the background." Peter said infuriated. He stood up and started to pace. "He wants me to come home…alone."

Neal shook his head. "Why not take her somewhere to…."

Peter shook his head. "A residential neighborhood, police are less likely to engage them there. It's too likely an altercation would hurt an innocent bystander. Plus it's easier for them to get away, all the alley ways and normal neighborhood traffic."

"What does he want? What are his demands?" Diana asked.

Peter shook his head. "I ruined his life… and now, he is going to ruin mine." Peter paused. "That's all he would say."

Everyone was speechless for a moment, realizing the ramifications of Hillman's statement.

"What do you want us to do, Peter?" Jones asked.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"He doesn't know I know he's at the house. And Hillman doesn't know that El knows his name. So we are going to my house. I'm sure he has a couple of guys working for him. They shouldn't be too hard to spot. He probably will have someone stationed outside the house, looking for me. The other guy will be closer to the house, either actually inside with Hillman or around the back, also watching.

Diana and Jones nodded. They understood, and about 10 minutes later they were down the street from Peter's house. They parked several blocks away and walked in the direction of the house. Jones quickly spotted the first thug. He was sitting in a car so engrossed in watching Peter's house he had no idea someone had opened the car door and had gotten in. He turned to see Jones, pointing a gun in his face.

Diana made her way around the back of the house. She surprised the second thug, shooting him in the knee before he was even able to aim at her. She then cuffed the man and he joined Jones and the other man in Peter's vehicle. Jones stayed with the men as she made her way back to the house. Diana called the NYPD to escort the second man to the hospital.

The sound of the gunshot from Diana's gun startled Hillman. It was way too close, and Hillman was beginning to see the major flaws in his plan. He went to the windows at the front of the house. By the time he turned to check the back windows he saw that Peter and Neal had silently entered the house. He had a gun pointed at him.

The one in possession of the gun surprised him. Hillman had never seen Neal with a gun in his hand. He knew, for a fact, that the man didn't like guns.

Hillman smiled. "What are you trying to prove, Caffrey?" He asked, confident Neal didn't have the guts to pull the trigger.

Hillman's question made Peter look up. He had immediately gone to his wife. He had wanted to make sure El was out of the way and safe before he dealt with Hillman. It took Peter just a second to realize that Neal was holding a gun. Neal was holding his gun, Peter realized as his hand went to his empty holster. Peter was speechless as he saw the determination and fury on Neal's face.

"You tortured me. You left me for dead." Neal said, the bitterness coming through. You. Left. Me. For. Dead."

Both Hillman and Peter were realizing something as they watched Neal. They could tell he knew how to handle and gun. Neither could see any signs of a trembling hand.

Hillman held up his hands… "Neal…."…suddenly a lot less sure of himself.

"How about I torture you?" Neal asked. He pointed the gun at Hillman's groin. "Do you plan on having children?"

Hillman didn't answer, but Neal saw his Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallowed.

Neal grinned at him, his anger still evident. "Or I could blow out your knee caps." Neal said, shifting his aim from one knee to the other. "You can be in a wheelchair for the rest of your life."

Again Hillman didn't answer, and Peter couldn't say anything. He was too shocked at the scene playing out before him.

"Or…" Neal said as he pointed the gun at Hillman's head. "…I could put a bullet in your brain," Neal paused. "…your choice."

Again, Hillman could not speak.

"Trust me, Hillman, you really don't want me making that decision." Neal said as he shifted the aim to Hillman's groin. "I really don't think there should ever be a chance of another person like you being born."

Hillman finally found his voice. "Burke! Burke, you can't let him do this. You can't let him shoot me! He's got your gun, felons can't be in possession of firearms." Hillman pleaded. "He's…."

Peter smiled. He was finally able to move with the mention of his name. He went over the Hillman and quickly cuffed the man. Peter was very much afraid that Neal might shot him.

"Neal!" Peter said after he got Hillman secured.

Diana was in the house by now. She had been mesmerized, too, by Neal's actions. She too could tell that a gun was not a foreign object in Neal's hands. Peter handed the man over to Diana to escort outside.

"Neal!" Peter said again, after Hillman was out of the house.

This time Neal looked at Peter, as if seeing him for the first time. Neal realized he was holding Peter's gun. He handed it back.

"I'm sorry, Peter." Neal shook his head. "They thought I was dead, and they threw me away. They threw me away like I was a piece of garbage."

Neal put his head in his hands after he collapsed onto the couch in the living room.

El had no clue what to say to Neal. She just sat down beside him. She put her hand on his back to comfort him.

"Are you okay?" Neal asked, looking up at her.

El nodded. She pulled him into a big hug. "We're all going to be okay, Neal. "I promise you that.

TBC

**END NOTES: Thanks for your responses to this story. And a continued thanks toccluvshorses101 for her beta skills. I am including a little epilogue to explain things. **


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Neal looked up at Peter and El from his position on their couch. Neal opened his mouth to speak.

Peter shook his head. He and Neal were needed at the office. They had to make sure Hillman paid, a long time, for what he did to Neal and El. "We'll talk later."

Neal nodded. He slowly got up and followed Peter out of the house and to his car.

It was the next morning before they got to talk. Neal came into Peter's office, but didn't say anything. He just sat.

"It's 'later,' Neal. Peter said, referring to the conversation of a day before.

Neal nodded, but he didn't start explaining immediately.

"Neal?"

"It's suicide to grab an agent's gun. I know that." Neal started. "He…but that bastard left me for dead. As if the beating, the torture was not enough…he dumped me into water so that if I was still alive, on that off chance, I would drown." Neal shook his head. "When I saw the chance, Peter…I just…I took it. He was standing there so…smug. I…I just wanted to wipe that grin of his face. And if I had to rearrange his anatomy to do that, I didn't have a problem with it."

Peter couldn't help but grin. He had seen the look on Hillman's face when Neal proposed shooting Hillman in the groin.

Neal stared at Peter for a moment. "I was deadly serious, Peter."

Peter tried to stop smiling, it didn't work. "I know you were, but the look on Hillman's face…now that was priceless." Peter leaned back in his chair. "I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing when he begged me to take the gun away."

Neal nodded. He even grinned at that point.

"But…" Peter said, he righted his chair again. "…something doesn't add up here." Peter said, his agent mode in full tilt. "I seem to recall you told me you didn't like guns." He paused. "But I could tell that guns are not foreign to you, on the contrary. You seemed to know, very well, how to handle it. Do you care to explain?"

Neal sighed. "It's personal, Peter. A very personal part of my life that I'd prepared for for years."

Peter stuck his comment in as Neal paused. "I know everything about you Neal."

"There is no record of Neal Caffrey before I turned 18." Neal reminded him.

Peter nodded. Neal was right.

"There's just things I'm not ready to tell you yet, Peter." Neal admitted. "They're not bad things. It's just…there are parts of my past that I haven't…come to terms with yet. And if I told you why I am so proficient, I'm not sure you would believe me."

"Try me." Peter challenged.

Neal shook his head.

"Come on." Peter encouraged.

"No, Peter." Neal stated.

"You're killing me here."

Neal shook his head and got up to leave. He then turned around as he got to the door of Peter's office. "I had every intention of joining the police academy when I turned 18." Neal then left, not giving Peter a chance to reply, much less process what he had heard.

Peter got up. He had planned on going down and questioning Neal more. But by that time Neal had sit down. Neal then looked up at him. And something in the look on Neal's face stopped him in his tracks.

Peter retreated to his office. Neal would tell him when he was ready for him to know.

THE END


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